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Yeah, playing Serious Sam on a difficulty above Normal is asking for trouble. Not on a first playthrough, methinks. It's such a good game, though. There are some bastard hard sections, but they're all beatable, and if you don't bellow in triumph when you do I don't know how to help you.

I tried kicking the difficulty back to normal, but instead of just making the enemies do less damage (which is what I really want) it cut the enemy spawns to the point that it didn't even feel like a challenge. It also stripped me of my Gatling Gun and re-enabled the hint pop-ups.

I did eventually make it past the part I was stuck at on Hard, thanks to a cleverly* hidden cannon.

I just beat Bastion. I was actually about to close the game but I felt that the end was near and pressed on. Wasn't all that impressed by the ending, wish the whole game was a bit deeper, and the environments felt empty for all of their pretties. I didn't have the same issue with the combat itself that everyone seems to but sadly that's all you do.

Serious Sam: The First Encounter is a poorly-designed game. The narrow sections consist of 5 skeleton dudes waiting around every corner to insta-kill, while the wide-open areas consist of getting rammed in the back by disgusting amounts of enemies while trying to cut down the previously spawned ones. I quit when I was literally walking across the heads of the crowd, Dead Rising-style, with no hope of escape or respite.

I recommend walking around corridor sections with either the two shotguns or the tommy gun. You'll rarely need a heavier weapon in there and if you do, it'll most likely be telegraphed. For the open areas, you're supposed to be surrounded. Make sure you're prioritising targets and using weapons correctly. If you're being shot at range by demons, don't be afraid to fire some rockets off at them then 'forget' you've fired them and then turn back to your current targets while focusing on those a little closer. So long as you don't hit any projectiles with your rockets, 5 shots should take them down. Non-human small targets can usually be killed by one double-barrelled shotgun hit, this includes kleer skeletons. The best way to take them down is to let them come right in your face to the extent that they've leapt at you, guaranteeing you a clear hit and kill. Otherwise, two shots of the standard shotgun at a short distance will also kill them. The bulls that charge at you similarly take two double-barrelled shots at close range to kill.

The tommy gun is preferential, most of the time, to the minigun. The tommy works far, far better at range and allows you to control ammo usage whilst the minigun is better with clumps of weaker enemies at mid-range. Don't bother using it on bigger targets because it is a waste of ammo for the times when you'll really need it.

Now, I'm not saying FE isn't hard or that the level design is amazing (SE improves on these on both accounts, albeit with a final boss that's not as cool) but I do think a lot of the time it's very fair. You're not expected to finish the big arena fights with full health, more a case of trying to survive with as much as possible. For the corridor and inside sections, that's when you'll be making back your health, but you do have to be careful. There are jump targets to keep you on your toes, particularly the kleer skeletons, but I think the difficulty is challenging rather than unfair for the majority of the time.

I recommend walking around corridor sections with either the two shotguns or the tommy gun. You'll rarely need a heavier weapon in there and if you do, it'll most likely be telegraphed. For the open areas, you're supposed to be surrounded. Make sure you're prioritising targets and using weapons correctly. If you're being shot at range by demons, don't be afraid to fire some rockets off at them then 'forget' you've fired them and then turn back to your current targets while focusing on those a little closer. So long as you don't hit any projectiles with your rockets, 5 shots should take them down. Non-human small targets can usually be killed by one double-barrelled shotgun hit, this includes kleer skeletons. The best way to take them down is to let them come right in your face to the extent that they've leapt at you, guaranteeing you a clear hit and kill. Otherwise, two shots of the standard shotgun at a short distance will also kill them. The bulls that charge at you similarly take two double-barrelled shots at close range to kill.

I like that all of those tactics you mentioned are identical across the Serious Sam games. I'm still working my way through BFE: Jewel of the Nile DLC on Hard, just as I did the entirety of BFE on Hard. I figured I could handle it even though I'd never played a Serious Sam game before, and I did just that, but in this DLC I'm running into a brick wall.

In what I assume is the final part of the chapter Born Again there's a massive arena full of obstacles where I'm assaulted by legions of skeletons, a handful of bulls and a couple of Khnums, and almost all of my rapid-fire weapons are out of ammo. So I can empty my assault rifle on the skeletons, which has enough ammo for about five kills, and then switch to the double-barrel to pick them off one by one. Usually I can kill the bulls by firing two rockets or Devastator shells in their path before they get too close, but the addition of the Khnums is the straw that's breaking my back. If I start firing at them, the skeletons get me, and if I focus on the skeletons, the fireballs get me. I really have no idea how to come out of this one alive.

I think the tactics are identical because it works so well. The combat is somewhere between a tightly choreographed dance and a more vicious Missile Command - you have to prioritise the right targets otherwise you're going to die and start crying because it's unwinnable. As it goes, my SS game-play (FE, SE, 3 and DD) has all been on hard and I think it's about right. I cannot imagine playing on higher (invisible enemies apart from when they fire?!) although I know the top one is a bit special as it increases ammo counts and things like that. By SS3, whilst I was still dying every so often, I was noticeably better than how I was when I made my way through FE. I also think that Jewel of the Nile is the best SS3 content, shame it had to be DLC.

But yes, the Khnums are utter bastards. That said, you can run up to them and throw up 2 (?) blocks of C4 onto their chest, detonate and that should do it. That final arena is stupid hard though. Between those stupid angel things, chicken-walkers, kleer and helicopters, it was very frustrating. I'm sure you've noticed at this point though that for a certain amount of time, enemies will spawn only when you walk over certain invisible lines. They'll all come eventually, but you can spread them out. Try going to the far sides and then drawing all the kleer back to the entrance to that final area. You should be able to herd them and eventually wittle them down. Don't be afraid to throw C4 out too as there are boxes for you to reload at.

I can only suggest perseverance though. If you're loading from a quick/auto save and it's clearly going wrong, don't be afraid to go back to a previous save and work forward slowly. Oh, and I'd always try and take out the bulls with a shotgun where possible. You can usually avoid their hits and the closer they get to you, the more likely they'll take out other enemies at the same time.

I mostly just backpedal as far as I can unloading rockets>grenades>gatling guns>shotguns, range permitting. I have to say, Serious Sam is one of the few games that gets lobbing grenades spot-on perfect.

I mostly just backpedal as far as I can unloading rockets>grenades>gatling guns>shotguns, range permitting. I have to say, Serious Sam is one of the few games that gets lobbing grenades spot-on perfect.

Serious Sam has some of the more finely tuned weapons in the history of FPSdom. Probably the best in the last decade.

And backpedalling is a rookie mistake. Backpedal mixed with circle strafing with the odd sidestep for the straight chargers is what you need to do. As your sense improves, you'll find you're doing less backpedalling and more trying to funnel the charge of the monsters into a closed area so you have a smaller surface area to spread ammo over. In gigantic open areas however, feel free to backpedal as much as you want.

You know you're reached a new level of nerdvana when you charge the monsters instead of the other way around. To this day I remember charging the headless kamikaze bombers in SS1 and realising its far more efficient than letting them come to you. In general, charge the early monsters first as they're weak hp wise and mopping them up fast gives you more space and time to deal with the bigger ones.

You know you're reached a new level of nerdvana when you charge the monsters instead of the other way around.

I feel like a matador crossed over with a lunatic when I take on kleer and bulls now. "Come 'ere ya bastards, I'm waiting for ya!" *BOOM*

It definitely helps knowing how much damage from what sources certain enemies take. The smaller walkers (blue ones) go down in one rocket/grenade hit. Since I sucked with grenades the rest of the time, I'd always use that ammo on them to save rockets for other, bigger things. I came to rely on this so much that when I discovered they weren't in 3, I was a bit disappointed. A bit like the sniper rifle turning up in my game for all of 5 minutes too before I lost it again.

I started(once again) playing Diablo 2. The next ladder is actually starting pretty soon, but this time I decided to go for single player. The reason being that I decided to start collecting a grail(ie. finding(not trading) every single set and unique item in the game). This should keep me busy for the next few years.;)

You know you're reached a new level of nerdvana when you charge the monsters instead of the other way around.

Heh, nerdvana. I had a such a moment only it was in Serious Sam:BFE in that endgame canyon level. I was swarmed on all sides and completely done for yet again. On a mad whim I charged into the center of the giant cluster of kamikaze bombers ahead while, I am somewhat ashamed to admit, mimicking their signature yell with gusto. I was quite amazed at my luck when the smoke finally cleared to a quiet canyon and I had failed to suicide properly. Funny how a level which essentially is just a long tube is my most memorable gaming moment.

Heh, nerdvana. I had a such a moment only it was in Serious Sam:BFE in that endgame canyon level. I was swarmed on all sides and completely done for yet again. On a mad whim I charged into the center of the giant cluster of kamikaze bombers ahead while, I am somewhat ashamed to admit, mimicking their signature yell with gusto. I was quite amazed at my luck when the smoke finally cleared to a quiet canyon and I had failed to suicide properly. Funny how a level which essentially is just a long tube is my most memorable gaming moment.

Serious Sam 3 was a delirious crescendo of violence and the Canyon level was its culmination. That game got better as it went on, whereas TFE just gets more fatigueing. I've only got a few more levels to go, though.

Took up with the original Silent Hill today, on PS1. I was surprised to find that it's actually a really claustrophobic open world game, equal parts adventure and survival horror. The combat so far consists of shooting dogs and wayward pterodactyls, so nothing too terrifying there, but the sound design and atmosphere are exceedingly excellent. As far as the open world elements, the draw distance is fucking terrible and the streets are empty, but it actually fits well with the theme of the game. It holds up a lot better than I was expecting; the tank controls are present but not too frustrating and graphically it actually looks pretty nice. Besides, I'm a sucker for late-90's CGI.

I can only suggest perseverance though. If you're loading from a quick/auto save and it's clearly going wrong, don't be afraid to go back to a previous save and work forward slowly. Oh, and I'd always try and take out the bulls with a shotgun where possible. You can usually avoid their hits and the closer they get to you, the more likely they'll take out other enemies at the same time.

Turns out that the easiest way was to hang to the right of the area, where half of the enemies would conveniently ignore me since they're scripted to approach the entrance of the arena from either the left or the right, and they didn't know what to do when they arrived and I wasn't there.

I'm not sure you know the part I'm talking about, though. It's the place with the timelock control room. There are no biomechs or harpies, nor helicopters - when were there ever helicopters?

So I emerge from the timelock control room and find this bitch-ass huge boss, and I can immediately tell that I'm not going to have enough ammunition to kill him. Which means I'll have to start tossing C4 at him and resupply at the boxes, while conserving enough ammo to deal with the regular enemies. I don't really feel like doing that. Is there anything else past that boss?

I'm not sure you know the part I'm talking about, though. It's the place with the timelock control room. There are no biomechs or harpies, nor helicopters - when were there ever helicopters?

So I emerge from the timelock control room and find this bitch-ass huge boss, and I can immediately tell that I'm not going to have enough ammunition to kill him. Which means I'll have to start tossing C4 at him and resupply at the boxes, while conserving enough ammo to deal with the regular enemies. I don't really feel like doing that. Is there anything else past that boss?

I was going to say I remember wrong, but that boss is the final boss and enemy of the DLC, so, I'm not sure myself now! As for that boss, you can kill him quickly if you run up to him and actually plant the C4 on him as opposed to throwing it nearby. You'll need to run out quickly to avoid his massive area of effect attack though. Once you beat him though, that's the end of the DLC.